Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

The loud beeping of my alarm clock wakes me from a great dream of me meeting the Fallen.

Oh wait! Done that!

I look at my alarm clock to see how much longer I can lie in bed till I have to leave.

OH NO!

The big red numbers of the alarm clock boldly say 7:30 and I have to be at school at 8:00.

I'll never make it!

Frantically I race around my room. I run to my dresser and pull out the second drawer to get a shirt, then the third to get a pair of paints without looking to see if they match.

I strip to my "unmentionables" and quickly try to get everything on. I lay my shirt on my bed and slip my legs into the paint holes.

My dad finally tries to get me awake.

"Sakura! You're going to be late!" I hear my dad yell as I struggle to get my shirt on.

"I know! I'll be down in a minute!" When I finally get my shirt on, I apply my make-up. Looking in my mirror, I apply a little base, black eye liner, and a reddish pink lipstick; nothing fancy. Finished with my make-up, I get a hair tie and pull my brown hair into a ponytail.

"Sakura, are you up?" My dad yells from the stairs.

"Yes, I'll be down soon. Almost ready."

Final touches, I think to myself as I straighten my shirt, fix loose hairs, and make sure my make-up is applied evenly.

With that all sorted, I dig through my music jewelry box looking for my tangerine earrings that go with my "I Love Tangerines" shirt and black pants.

Where are they? I know I put…

Instead of finding my tangerine earrings, I find the pearl earrings my brother gave me the night… the night he disappeared.

I forgot these where here…

A tear runs down my check as I pull them out and gently slip them on instead of the orange dangly ones that would go with my outfit.

Looking at myself in the mirror, a tear runs down my face as I think back to that day…

FLASHBACK

It was Saturday, my 13th birthday, and dad had to go to work for the morning, and Touya was upstairs getting ready to go to one of his part time jobs. I walked down to the kitchen and found a plate of breakfast made for me, a card, and a rose in a glass vase.

Dad and Touya must have woken up extra early to do this for me.

I smile a little as I open the card and see a troll with a birthday hat on. 'Even monsters have birthdays… So Happy Birthday KAIJU!' Obviously Touya picked the card.

I get a pair of chopsticks from the drawer and start to eat my rice as Touya walks down in his waiter uniform, black slacks, a white long sleeved collar shirt with the company logo, and a tie.

"Happy birthday kaiju. Here, hopefully these will fit your huge ears." Touya says as a huge grin guns across his face and he slides a small package across the table.

"Touya! I'm not a baby anymore. Leave me alone! I am a teenager." I say snatching up the package.

It was a small box in white wrapping paper with pictures of different color streamers and balloons. I flip it over and find the crease and tug gently at the tape.

"Hurray up Sakura, I have to be at work in 20 minutes." Touya says impatiently.

I throw the wrapping paper to the floor and find a small black jewelry box.

"Is this a trick or…" I open the box and in there are the pair of earrings I pointed out to him when we were in town a month ago buying groceries.

The earrings are silver and attached at the end is a small pearl that glistened in the light. I pointed the earrings out to him I said that they were beautiful. He shrugged it off, but he remembered it.

"Touya, how did you remember? I pointed these out to you a month ago?" I say so surprised at the earrings.

"Only the best for my little sister. I have to go, happy birthday. I'll be back around 6:00 for dinner." He starts walking to the door, but I stop him.

"Touya, thank you." And I give him a hug. He wraps his arms around me and says, "They're just earrings. I'll see you later." He releases me and I let go of him. With one final look at me, with a wave, he closes the door.

I go back to the kitchen at pick up the jewelry box and look at them for a couple of moments. Then I head into the living room and stand in front of a mirror and place them on.

END OF FLASHBACK

"Sakura! We're going to be late."

My dad's yell knocks me back to the present. I wipe my eyes and notice that they're puffy.

Oh well, they're go away after a while.

I run down the stairs, and head to the front door to get my skates.

"Here's some money for breakfast, sorry I didn't wake you sooner Sakura." My dad says entering from the kitchen.

I laugh a little, "It's not your fault, and thanks. Be back after school." I say giving him a kiss and a big hug, but for some reason, I don't want to let go.

"Sakura, you need to get to school." My dad says with a little chuckle.

A tear runs down my face, "I'm finally wearing them again, the earrings Touya gave me."

My dad runs a finger over my ear, "That's good Sakura. He gave them to you for a reason; he knew you would look beautiful in them."

I give my dad a big last hug then open the door.

"I love you dad"

"And I love you so much Sakura." He says smiling, but I can see the tears he's trying to hold back.

With that I close the door, not knowing what the day would bring.